Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to specimen inspection and review systems.
Description of the Background Art
Automated inspection and review systems are important in process control and yield management for the semiconductor and related microelectronics industries. Such systems include electron beam (e-beam) based systems and other types of systems.
As defect locations in a substrate are detected by an inspection tool, the coordinates of these defect locations are stored. Subsequently, a review tool, such as a high-magnification scanning electron microscope (SEM), may be used for more detailed viewing and analysis of the defect locations.
The substrate is aligned on the stage of the review microscope, and a coordinate transformation is established between the review microscope and the defect location coordinates. Thereafter, the transformed coordinates are used by the review tool to find or “re-locate” the defect locations, such that they may be viewed and analyzed in greater detail.